Thai shrimp production projected to grow 10-20% this year
BANGKOK, Jan 11 – The Thai Shrimp Associaation on Wednesday announced its projection that this year’s overall Thai shrimp production will increase by 10-20 per cent, valued at some Bt120 billion.
Somsak Paneetatyasai, president of the Thai Shrimp Association, said that the 2012 Thai prawn harvest is likely to yield 650,000-720,000 tonnes, up 10-20 per cent year-on-year, while shrimp exports will expand to 400,000 tonnes on the condition that global weather is not volatile.
Thailand’s major market destinations for shrimp exports are the United States, Japan and countries in the European Union with 46 per cent, 25 per cent and 15-18 per cent growth respectively, Mr Somsak added.
The country’s main competitors for prawn exports remain Vietnam, Indonesia and India. Meanwhile, China, the major shrimp producer, still imported shrimp produced in Thailand due to its high domestic demand.
The US anti-dumping law is still a threat to Thailand and other shrimp exporting countries, as well as the negative impact of the shrimp-related pandemic found in Indonesia, the association president said, explaining that Thailand’s Fisheries Department is closely monitoring the pandemic and preventing infected breeds from being imported into the kingdom.
In a related development, Mr Somsak added that overall Thai shrimp production in 2011 remain satisfying with a prawn harvest of 600,000 tonnes, lower than the earlier expected 640,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, last year’s shrimp exports were valued at Bt110 billion due to the declining volume of shrimp available for export and the weakening of the baht currency.
